


there goes my heart beating (cause you are the reason)

by youreanovelidea



Series: we got lost in each other (cause time wasn't catching us) [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Gen, Luffy Being Luffy, M/M, POV Vinsmoke Sanji, Protective Roronoa Zoro, You Are The Reason By Calum Scott
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-01 18:55:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17249561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youreanovelidea/pseuds/youreanovelidea
Summary: Zoro breaks through a pile of broken wood and glares at them. “What are you guys doing?”“What do you mean? We’re here to get Nami,” Luffy says, dusting himself off.Sanji sits on a crate and tries to remember why he left the safety of the Baratie to follow a crazy kid in a straw hat.(Or, Sanji questions his life decisions, Luffy takes a nap, and Zoro should probably sit down)





	there goes my heart beating (cause you are the reason)

Sanji doesn’t know a lot about his current situation, but he’s pretty much figured out that everyone in the chore boy’s pirate crew is borderline insane.

After watching Luffy defeat Don Krieg—and then quickly fishing him out of the ocean, lest he drown—Sanji has determined three things about the boy in the straw hat.

One, he is a Devil Fruit User with little to no self-preservation skills. Two, he’s somehow managed to win a fight almost solely based on his own ‘blind spear of determination,’ if Zeff is to be believed. And three, the rest of his crew (plus a few extras) have disappeared to go chase after their fourth crew member, who apparently stole their ship and vanished over the horizon.

He sighs as he sits down next to Luffy on the deck of the Baratie, his shoes and jacket in a crumbled heap beside the kid’s straw hat and sprawled out form.

 _You’re really something else_ , he had said once he was sure Luffy hadn’t drowned to death. He stares at him now, watches the rise and fall of his chest, and shakes his head, lips twitching into a smile.

++

The chore boy finally wakes up and Sanji, _again_ , declines the offer to join his pirate group. It’s only after Zeff and the rest of the cooks intervene that he finds himself reluctantly contemplating the offer.

But it’s not until a man trapped in a fish crashes—literally—through the restaurant that he makes his choice.

He thinks of the orange-haired beauty and decides that even though he’s still not sure how he feels about joining a pirate crew, he can at least go with them to help save a damsel in distress. After all, he’s a gentleman and gentlemen don’t let pretty girls get hurt, which, according to Luffy, is a very real possibility if they don’t save Nami.

He rolls his eyes at Luffy’s responding bright-eyed enthusiasm and cheerful dance to his acceptance, but it’s more fond than irritated and _wow, okay, he’s not sure how that happened._

And then Zeff tells him as he’s packing his things that Luffy declined Zeff’s logbook from the Grand Line when it was offered to him.

Sanji sighs, but finds himself completely unsurprised. “Of course he said no. He’s insane. They’re all insane and I’m probably going to die,” he mutters under his breath.

By the time they’re ready to leave, he’s reliving old memories and his heart is warm inside his chest. He manages to compose himself, hoping that he can escape with his dignity intact, but _that_ plan goes completely out the window once he’s actually leaving and somehow the entire staff of the Baratie ends up sobbing—Zeff included.

“You idiot,” Zeff yells through his tears. “Men should part without a word.”

But they’ve never been great at doing what people _should_ do, so Sanji thinks it’s okay.

++

On the way to find Nami, Yosaku tells them the story of Arlong.

Sure, in theory, it sounds terrifying. A fishman that used to be on the Grand Line with one of the Seven Warlords is now terrorizing over 20 towns in the East Blue.

—but he just watched Luffy decimate Don Krieg, so he’s feeling optimistic about their chances.

The next few hours are spent sailing, cooking, and thinking about the fact that he’s finally on his way to conquering his dream and locating the All Blue.

And then they’re fighting a giant, pissed off sea cow and he’s mildly regretting every decision he’s ever made up until this point. But it turns out alright and the aforementioned sea cow ends up helping them finally make it to the island.

But, as he’s starting to learn, Luffy never does anything the normal way, so instead of docking, they crash into the island and plow through both forest and ground, each of them hanging on to the ship for dear life.

Sanji’s eyes widen in terror as he recognizes the green-haired man standing stricken in the middle of their path a few feet ahead. But Luffy just grins and calls Zoro’s name happily, so Sanji tries not to worry about it too much.

He may not know much about Zoro, but he doubts that Luffy would let him die, especially after seeing the rage-filled attack that the captain had launched at Mihawk after the swordsman was cut open.

Luffy grins and pats his hat down as they finally come to a stop, their momentum having worn off and their surroundings filled with debris and ripped up dirt from their journey.

Zoro breaks through a pile of broken wood and glares at them. “What are you guys doing?”

“What do you mean? We’re here to get Nami,” Luffy says, dusting himself off.

Sanji sits on a crate and tries to remember why he left the safety of the Baratie to follow a crazy kid in a straw hat.

And then they’re all reminded of the reason they came to the island in the first place—to save Nami. But before they can so much as pick a direction, a man that Sanji vaguely recognizes as Yosaku’s friend shows up across from them and drops to his knees.

From his teary-eyed statement, they learn that Usopp is apparently dead and that Nami apparently killed him.

Sanji blinks, trying to equate the orange-haired girl he met earlier with a cold-blooded murderer. He finds that he can’t.

He’s surprised when Luffy grips the man by the jacket and shakes him roughly, usually cheerful expression dark and furious.

Zoro intervenes with a calm “Stop, Luffy. This has nothing to do with Johnny,” though it barely registers over Luffy’s outright refusals to hear a word against Nami.

And then everything gets even more complicated when Nami herself shows up, shoulders high and a storm raging behind her eyes.

She tells them to leave and informs Luffy that they were never friends, though she tacks on a warning for them—Arlong is out for Zoro’s head and since they’re part of his group, they’re basically all collateral damage.

Sanji gets momentarily distracted by her beauty, his heart racing as he promises that they’ll sail away together.

That turns into a verbal fight with Zoro, which then turns into a _physical_ fight with Zoro as he steps between the swordsman and Nami without really thinking about it.

And he knows he’s playing with fire, but he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself for letting a lady get hurt on his watch—even if she does turn out to be a homicidal murderer. “A swordsman would even strike a lady, Roronoa Zoro?”

It devolves from there into insults and low blows, but Sanji has to admit that Zoro is right about one thing. He has absolutely no idea what is even going on at this point. He’s not sure who the bad guys are and if Nami is in danger at all and what the hell Luffy is planning, but he decides it doesn’t matter. 

Nami tells them again to leave the island—and her—and he’s about to protest the idea when Luffy simply falls to to the ground, crosses his arms behind his head, and says “I’m going to sleep.”

Sanji blinks and glances towards the sky as if it holds any of the answers to his dozens of questions. He shakes his head and concludes that he needs to simplify the situation because right now it’s confusing and muddled and chaotic.

He settles on two things.

One, protect Nami. He may not know all of the facts, but it’s pretty easy to tell that there’s at least _something_ strange going on here—something that Nami clearly doesn’t want them to know about.

And two, listen to Luffy. The kid may be insane, but he did win against Don Krieg and save the Baratie, so he can’t be too much of an idiot.

“I don’t plan on leaving the island and I’m not interested in what’s happening on the island. And I’m a little sleepy,” Luffy says. “I’m going to sleep.”

Nami storms off after that, eyes wide and stricken.

Sanji wants to call after her, but stops himself as Zoro’s words echo in his ears. He hasn’t earned the right to intervene. Not yet. He doesn’t know enough.

++

Nami is gone and Luffy is sleeping and Sanji can feel a migraine coming on. He follows Luffy’s lead and drops down to the dirt, leaning his back against a tree and sticking another cigarette between his lips.

Zoro is already sitting, his swords resting against his neck.

“Big Bro Zoro! What on earth are you thinking?” Johnny asks, breaking the tense silence that Nami left in her wake.

“Arlong is out to kill us,” Yosaku adds, sweat dripping from his temple. “So why aren’t we running away?”

“Now that we know what Nami’s really like, there should be no reason at all to stay on this island,” Johnny finishes, glancing at Zoro with barely concealed desperation.

Zoro meets their gazes firmly and without hesitation. “A reason for staying on this island? There is one.” He looks over at Luffy, eyes softening slightly. “He’s staying here.”

Not for the first time, Sanji is taken aback by Zoro’s unwavering loyalty. He remembers the steady acceptance of Luffy’s orders on the Baratie and the way Zoro followed Luffy’s lead without pause when there was a decision to be made. It’s as if Zoro accepts that any of Luffy’s requests are correct simply because Luffy is the one asking.

Looking at the swordsman now, he thinks that for Zoro, it really is that simple.

++

Sanji is arguing with Usopp over motives when Zoro stands up, interrupting them with a firm “Let’s go.”

It’s not until they’re coming to a stop a few meters from where Luffy is standing above Nami that he understands. He watches as Luffy sets his hat upon Nami’s head and lets out a booming “Of course I will” in response to the girl’s plea for help.

Turning his attention to Zoro, he takes in the other man’s relaxed posture and the pride and understanding in his expression.

He resists the urge to ask how Zoro knew where to find Luffy, to ask how he knew it was time.

He’s not sure Zoro would have an answer anyway.

++

Sanji breathes in deeply, his eyes narrowed. He stares at Arlong, his fists clenched at his side.

The fishman grins at them—all sharp teeth and fierce arrogance—and lifts Luffy higher off the ground, his fingers wrapped around a tan wrist. “People with Devil Fruit powers can’t swim! Though, even people without powers would sink in this situation.”

Zoro says something, voice filled with horror, but Sanji barely hears him, too focused on the way Luffy’s ankles are still encased in concrete.

Luffy disappears into the sea and Zoro stumbles forward, raw emotion in his voice as he screams his captain’s name.

Sanji bites down on his cigarette. “Damn you,” he growls.

Arlong laughs, arms spread wide as his mouth curls into a smirk.

Rushing forward, Sanji prepares to jump after Luffy, but Zoro stops him with an arm to the chest. He stumbles back, confused and questioning. He wants to argue but feels his angry protests fade away at the sight of something fractured hidden behind the swordsman’s expression.

“Idiot,” Zoro bites out lowly. “Don’t get worked up. They want us to go in the water.”

He knows that Zoro is right. They’re already at a disadvantage with Luffy out of commission, but the fishmen are at home underwater in a way that they can never be. He bites down on the inside of his cheek until he tastes blood.

“There’s only one way to save Luffy,” Zoro continues.

“Take these guys down in an instant, then go into the water?”

A game, Arlong had called it. But it’s not any game that Sanji wants to play. Not that he has a choice in the matter. He shares a look with Zoro, both of them already counting down the seconds that Luffy’s been out of sight.

They don’t have time to plan out their every move. They just have to fight.

Ignoring Arlong’s taunts is easy when he thinks about Luffy, trapped in concrete and running out of air.

He ends up against the fishman they call Kuroobi while Zoro challenges Hachi, both of them eager to finish quickly.

Except he can see the sweat sliding down Zoro’s face and the way the green-haired man’s chest heaves with each breath. He narrows his eyes and remembers the blood dripping onto the deck of Don Krieg’s broken ship, the blade cutting into Zoro’s skin and slicing him open.

As much as the legends like to call him a monster, Roronoa Zoro is still human, something Sanji is reminded of in that moment as he stares at the bandages surrounding Zoro’s torso.

Zoro pitches forward, skin pale, and Sanji stiffens.

He stares at Zoro’s prone form, but is dragged out of his thoughts by a fist slamming into his face and sending him through the concrete wall that surrounds Arlong Park.

He blacks out after that, the last bits of his consciousness slipping away.

++

When he comes to, his entire body aches. There’s blood in his mouth and his bones crack uncomfortably every time he moves.

He brings his cigarette to his mouth and inhales deeply, breathing the smoke out through his nose.

And then he stands up.

++

Everything after that goes by too fast and too slow all at once and Sanji nearly sighs in relief when Zoro defeats Hachi and collapses to the floor.

And then the idiot starts crawling towards the edge of the pool, ready to dive headfirst into the ocean after Luffy, and Sanji kind of wants to kick him into unconsciousness.

“Hey, stop it! You’ll die if you go into the sea with wounds like that!” he yells, seeing the movement out of the corner of his vision.

“Shut up,” Zoro growls back without hesitation. “He’s at his limit. There’s no time to wait until your fight is over.”

And Sanji hears the same raw emotion that he’s been hearing from Zoro ever since they met—the one that only comes out whenever Luffy is in danger. “Yeah, I know,” he says. “There’s no time to waste anymore. I know that much. I’m trying to stop you when I’m fully aware of that. You just shut up, you damn idiot.”

He pulls off his shoes and jacket as he talks, ignoring Zoro’s incredulous expression as he dives into the water, fully aware that he might be signing his own death warrant.

But if there’s one thing he knows about Luffy, it’s that he needs Zoro. And if saving Zoro means jumping into the ocean with a fishman chasing after him, then so be it.

“You can’t complain if I do this, right?” He hears Zoro and Kuroobi calling after him, but he ignores them and holds his breath as the waves crash over his head.

He never makes it to Luffy, but that’s okay because the people of Cocoyasi Village are apparently on their side.

Kuroobi is a strong opponent, one that makes Sanji nervous, but he’s determined not to let the fishman get close to Luffy and the man from Nami’s village.

After being kicked around, deprived of oxygen, and dragged through intense water pressure, Sanji feels nauseous and exhausted and ready to give up. But he remembers Zeff’s words about determination and refuses to admit defeat.

Not for the first time, he’s grateful for his love of cooking and the knowledge it gives him as he pulls Kuroobi close and breathes oxygen into his gills. The move gives him the strength he needs to push past the water’s surface and climb back onto land, his lungs greedily fighting for air as he drops down next to Zoro.

“Don’t worry. He’s okay,” he says, because he can tell by the look in Zoro’s eyes that the only thing he’s thinking about right now is Luffy.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Sort of.”

“Sort of?!”

“I’ll explain later,” Sanji says as Kuroobi stalks towards him.

After their duel in the ocean, Sanji’s strength is renewed, so the fight ends with a few well-placed kicks and careful maneuvers.

Zoro’s voice breaks his concentration. “Hey, what do you mean by Luffy being sort of okay?”

Sanji chuckles under his breath. To be honest, he’s surprised that Zoro lasted this long without asking for clarification. “It means that he won’t die for the time being. But to revive him, I have to go into the sea one more time, though it doesn’t seem like that guy’s gonna let me.”

They both look at Arlong, at the fishman’s building rage and rapidly darkening aura.

And then it’s a blur of teeth and pain and water until Sanji is flat on the ground with blood pouring out of his mouth and vomit staining the concrete beside him. Zoro is worse off, barely awake enough to register anything that’s happening.

He hears Nami declare war against Arlong, her eyes glistening with tears and determination. And suddenly there’s water shooting into the sky and Sanji grins through the red coloring his teeth.

“Finally. All we have to do now is remove his leg weight,” he says. He can tell by Zoro’s breathing that the other man is listening.

“Oh,” Zoro says. “So that’s what you meant.”

Sanji doesn’t know where it comes from, but somehow they both find the strength to stand up, though Zoro leans heavily on his sword.

“30 seconds,” the swordsman says. “I won’t last longer than that.”

“That’ll be enough,” he replies, because it has to be. They’re out of options and this is their last chance. He dives into the sea, pleading to anything he can think of that Zoro can give him the time he needs. 

++

Against all odds, he manages to free Luffy. Even with Hachi coming after him, Nami’s sister intervenes and he kicks at the concrete surrounding Luffy’s feet until it falls away, releasing the man he’s decided to call Captain.

And even though Luffy is a complete idiot, he can’t bring himself to regret the decision. Not when it leads to saving damsels in distress and rescuing entire villages from crazed fishmen.

He sighs as he settles in next to the police officer from Cocoyasi Village and Nami’s sister. “If he loses, you guys will all die, too.”

“Yeah, we will.”

“If that happens, it’s the end of the East Blue, too.”

Neither of them seem particularly panicked, apparently having accepted that whatever happens will happen.

Sanji flicks his match into the air over and over again and finds it funny that he isn’t worried at all.

++

He thinks back to Zoro’s fight with Mihawk, to the tense set of Luffy’s shoulders and the swordsman’s promise to never be defeated again. He had said, back then, that Zoro should give up his ambitions instead of dying. But watching Luffy fight Arlong now, he thinks he kind of understands it.

So he presses his lips together and watches as Luffy takes hit after hit, though he never stays down for long. He shouts encouragement and listens for any orders from his captain, prepared to do whatever it takes to make sure Luffy wins.

++

It’s over, he thinks.

He stares at Arlong’s body—still and beaten—and then at Luffy, who stands tall and unwavering on top of the remnants of Arlong Park.

He can see the bite marks on Luffy’s arm and the blood and bruises covering his skin, but his captain is laughing, so he decides that it’s okay.

Nami plops the straw hat back on Luffy’ head and slaps their hands together as both of them laugh.

Sanji looks on and smiles.

++

When he walks into the infirmary hours later, he finds Zoro on one of the beds, bandaged and sewn back together.

“Hey, have you seen Luffy?” he asks as he strides into the room. “There’s like dozens of food stalls out there and I can’t find him anywhere.”

He stops short as Zoro glares at him, one finger pressed to his lips.

“Shut up,” the swordsman growls and Sanji bristles before looking down at him.

 _Oh_.

Luffy is curled up next to Zoro, tucked against his side and sleeping soundly.

Sanji softens and drops into a nearby chair. “Is he okay?”

“He’s fine. I think the fight just took a lot out of him. He conked out right after the doctor looked him over,” Zoro says.

He nods in understanding, remembering the concrete slabs dropped on Luffy’s prone form and the way Arlong’s teeth dug into rubber skin hard enough to break it.

Zoro’s arm tightens around Luffy as the shorter man nuzzles into his chest. “Thanks for getting him out of the ocean, cook. You did good.”

Sanji’s eyes widen in surprise. “Oh. Yeah, well, someone had to.”

“Mhm.”

“Why did you try?”

“What?”

Sanji meets the other man’s eyes. “After your fight with Hachi. You were bleeding out and half-conscious, but you still tried to dive in after Luffy. Why?”

“He’s Luffy,” Zoro says simply, as if that’s all there is to it.

“But you could have died—you probably would have!” Sanji exclaims. He earns a glare for his raised voice and winces, quickly lowering his volume as he continues. “Why would you risk your life like that?”

Zoro hums, his fingers running up and down Luffy’s spine. “He’s going to be the Pirate King. It’s my job to help him get there.”

“How is you dying going to help him? He would be devastated,” Sanji hisses through clenched teeth.

Zoro’s eyes flash with an emotion that flickers too fast for Sanji to identify. “He’s strong.”

“I don’t think anyone is that strong. Even Luffy.”

The swordsman doesn’t respond and Sanji sighs, pushing himself to his feet.

“Just keep that in mind. Luffy’s dream is important, but I’m pretty sure that he’d pick you every time,” he says as he leaves the room.

++

Sanji may not understand a lot of things, but he knows that Zoro is too stubborn to talk to Luffy, so he decides to jumpstart the process.

It’s easy enough to talk to Nami about Zoro’s attempt to dive after Luffy, even though he was severely injured, and it’s even easier to make sure that Luffy overhears.

He watches Luffy’s face drop—dark eyes full of confusion and fear—and part of him regrets it, but a bigger part is sure that if anyone can get through to Zoro, Luffy can.

He turns back to Nami and lets himself be distracted by the way she smiles at the cheerful songs that surround them.

His captain can handle the rest.

++

“Why did you help me?”

Sanji turns to find Nami standing behind him, her arms folded over her chest. He shrugs. “Because you needed it.”

She bites her lip. “You barely know me.”

“That doesn’t matter.” And it doesn’t, not to him. He may find her beautiful and intriguing, but he’s starting to realize that he would have helped even if he didn’t. He thinks back to Luffy’s darkened face and the way he sent Zoro after Nami without hesitation. And then he pictures the straw hat resting on Nami’s hair and the tears in her eyes. “Luffy believed in you. After that, it was easy. It was the right thing to do.”

“You’ll fit in here just fine,” Nami says with a laugh that sound a little bit choked. She wipes at her eyes and offers him a wobbly smile. “Thank you.”

He nods. “Anytime.”

Before either of them can say anything else, a tan arm loops around his neck as a weight leans against his side.

“Did you hear the songs about me?” Usopp asks, starry-eyed and falling over himself.

“How much did you have to drink?” Sanji asks, raising an eyebrow.

Usopp just shrugs and throws his other arm around Nami, tugging her closer. “It’s a celebration. We did it!”

Sanji meets Nami’s eyes and watches her expression soften.

“Yeah,” she says. “We did.”

++

Before he really knew them, Sanji thought that Luffy and his crew were all borderline insane.

Now that he has fought alongside them, he knows without a doubt that he was right.

But it’s okay because he’s starting to think that he might be a little bit insane too.

He remembers Nami’s words— _you’ll fit in here just fine_ —and smiles to himself. He settles down in a nearby chair and turns his attention towards the celebration still spreading throughout the village. He watches Usopp climb on top of the tower and winces at the way the sniper almost stumbles off the side. He watches Nami wrap her arms around her sister, both of them with teary eyes and wide grins. He watches Zoro head towards the ship, Luffy following a few seconds after.

Ducking his head, he takes a drink, then lifts the bottle to the sky. “To becoming a pirate.”

It’s both a cheer and a promise, one meant only for his ears.

“You look happy,” the policeman from the village comments, stopping in front of him.

“Yeah,” Sanji says, chuckling to himself. “I am.”

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this is where my headcanons start to get introduced into this series. 
> 
> First, I think that Luffy is crafty and intelligent. I think he uses his innocent and naivety as a sort of mask to keep people underestimating him. Because, in this arc especially, he is so smart when it comes to people, that I do not believe for a second that he really is as foolish as he pretends to be.
> 
> Second, I think Sanji is running from someone, probably his family. Mainly because we never see his family and we only saw him right before he met Zeff and his family was nowhere to be seen. Also, his attitude. He’s wary, as Zeff says, and that has to be for a reason.


End file.
